If You and Your Partner Share This, You're Dating the Right Person

The signs of lust are unmistakable: Your stomach is filled with butterflies, and your mind is consumed with thoughts of your new love interest. But when it comes to long-term romantic love, the emotional highs aren't as extreme; scientists have even found that dopamine levels in the brain return to normal after the honeymoon phase.

So aside from a gut feeling, how can you gauge whether or not your new partner is The One? "There are seven areas of compatibility to examine when choosing a partner," explains Sandy Weiner, a dating coach and chief love officer at Last First Date, to MindBodyGreen. "They don't all have to line up perfectly, but the more aligned you two are, the better the relationship will be." First on her compatibility list is temperament, or a person's innate nature.

"Do you get along well most of the time or find that he/she irritates you on a regular basis? Do you find yourself saying 'If only she'd think before she spoke' or 'I wish he'd be less lazy'?" she explains. "What you see is what you get; so if you don't like your partner's temperament, don't try to fix it. Find someone whose personality is more compatible with yours." Consider temperament the prerequisite for long-term love. You can't thrive in a relationship with someone that you don't get along with on a fundamental level.